The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-04-02
Back to Fundamental Principles


may well be called a travesty of
Democracy. One of the funda-
mental principles of Democracy is
rotation in Office, and the long
tenure system is in direct conflict
with the executory administration
of the party tenets No instance
in history can be pointed out where
a Democracy has intrusted the
administration of its affairs to its
representatives for four whole
years. No State in the Union ex-
cept Louisiana will delegate her
sovereign power, without account
ability, for more than two years.
Twenty-eight of our sister States
elect their governors and houses of
representatives every two years,
and the other nine elect them
annually. An eminent jurist speak
ing on this subject, says: I'VE have
tried the long term experiment. /
do not intend to say anything about
its past success. But I do say it
is dangerous to persist in it. The
wisest men of all ages have recog-
nized the danger. Rome elected
her consuls for only one year;
Athens her archons for only one
year. Are we SO wise or SO virtu-
GUS that we can afford to despise
the warnings, the precepts, the
precedents of all antiquity and of
all our contempol aries p
The principle of individual par
ticipation in the administration of
the affairs of government is deeply
impressed in the American mind,
and any infringement of their
rights is revolted at by the populace.
We are firmly of the opinion that
the present dissatisfaction in Lou
isiana is directly attributable to
the fact that the people feel that
their rights are transgressed by the
long tenure system, and we believe
we express the sentiments of nine
tenths of our fellow-citizens when
we say that an amendment to the
constitution is desired to correct
the present Unsatisfactory state of
affairs by which the suffragans are
precluded from expressing their
approval or disapproval of public
functionaries for four long years.
The clap-trap argument used by
those who conceived and consum-
mated this stride toward centrali-
cation, this bungling violation of the
citizens right, has been proven q
fallacy. There is neither economy,
peace nor satisfaction in the infre-
quency of elections, when the peo-
pie are debarred the privilege of
expressing their condemnation of
corrupt or unworthy officials, or
their approval of the worthy. If
a functionary is deserving the pub
lie should have the privilege of
endorsing him, and if he is not de-
serving they desire the right to re-
place him with a more faithful
servant, instead of allowing him
four years latitude without ac-
countability.
We do not believe that there is
alack of harmony in the Democratic
party, but we do believe that the
party has become convinced that
our State constitution needs amend
ing in several particulars, mainly
as to tenure of Office, with perhaps
a change as to resident Judiciary,
and one or two other alterations
that have occurred to us since the
adoption of the constitution of
1879. Thepolitical campaign is now
in its incipiency, and We consider
this good time to discuss these
questions. Let us hear the views
Of our cotemporaries on the subject
| One Hundred and Fifty Portraits Of the
Leading Men Of the World, with Complete
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